Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Categories
UFS News Media Release Research
Years
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Months
January February March April May June July August September October November December
Previous Archive
15 June 2021 | Story Dr Nitha Ramnath | Photo Supplied
Prof Philippe Burger (Vice-Dean in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, UFS) and Mr Busani Ncgaweni (Principal, NSG) at the NSG signing ceremony in Pretoria, 3 June 2021.
Prof Philippe Burger (Vice-Dean in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, UFS) and Mr Busani Ncgaweni (Principal, NSG) at the NSG signing ceremony in Pretoria, 3 June 2021.

The University of the Free State Business School has been appointed as a service provider of the National School of Government (NSG) to provide education, training, and development programmes to the public sector for a period of five years.  The UFS was one of ten South African higher education institutions (HEIs) selected to perform the functions, the objective being to expand the skills base of the public sector in line with government’s commitment to create   a capable, ethical, and developmental public service.

 

Prof Philippe Burger, Vice-Dean (Strategic Projects) in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, joined Mr Busani Ncgaweni, Principal of the National School of Government, and senior executives of ten HEIs at the signing ceremony in Pretoria on 3 June 2021 to seal the partnership with the UFS and the NSG.  “The University of the Free State, and in particular the UFS Business School, takes pride in establishing a partnership with the National School of Government (NSG),” says Prof Burger. The aim of this partnership is the professionalisation of the civil service through a number of activities. These include the UFS offering short learning programmes that will assist the NSG in its aim to create a capable state in line with the objectives of the National Development Plan.

 

A call for partnerships with higher education institutions (HEIs) was issued by the NSG in 2020 through an open bid process, followed by the successful selection of ten institutions that met the criteria to perform the education, training, and development functions. The institutions will be appointed from time to time for specific projects.

 

The UFS joins the University of Fort Hare, Nelson Mandela University, University of Pretoria, Tshwane University of Technology, University of Johannesburg, Rhodes Business School, Durban University of Technology, Stellenbosch University, and North-West University to partner with the NSG.

 

The partnership will make public servants and employees of all organs of state eligible to enrol for programmes on a cost recovery basis. The partnership will allow for the expansion of the scope of professional development for public sector employees and leaders, and in some cases help participants with the recognition of prior learning, while also opening opportunities for further study in relevant fields.

 

Some of the key deliverables of the partnership will be the development and review of curricula in various areas related to public sector performance and development, quality assurance, and joint certification of programmes. The partnership will also entail the co-development and delivery of NSG programmes, undertaking research projects with the NSG, as well as the provision of coaching and mentoring services to various levels of public sector officials.

News Archive

Lottery grant will boost public art at UFS
2009-05-25

 
 Public art at the UFS will get a major boost with money made available by the National Lottery Board. Here are Dr Ivan van Rooyen, Director: UFS Marketing, Ms Nontombi Ntakakaze (Artists in School Project) and Mr Ben Botma (Head of Department: Fine Arts) at one of the existing works of art by Edoardo Villa on the Bloemfontein Campus. 
Photo: Leatitia Pienaar.
Emerging and established artists will showcase their work in a comprehensive public sculpture project on the campuses of the University of the Free State (UFS). The aim is to create a greater understanding of cultural differences and promote the UFS vision of a truly multilingual, non-sexist, non-racial campus, says Dr Ivan van Rooyen, Director: UFS Marketing.

The National Lottery Board has approved a grant of R4,125 million in total for three major projects, one of which is the public sculpture project. The others are a Khoe-San Early Learning Centre pilot project in Heidedal, and a boost for the Artists in Schools project, which is already underway.

Dr Van Rooyen says one way of promoting the UFS vision is to create an alternative environment and provide visible, tangible symbols of change and transformation. This will enrich the educational and cultural experience of students and visitors to the campus by stimulating intercultural dialogue and providing a setting for historical dialogue between past and future.

The dream of the UFS is to inspire a sense of ownership of the campus of an open university, worthy of a democratic South Africa. “Therefore, a large-scale project of national significance has been conceptualised, where the development of infrastructure will involve the creation and acquisition of major South African art works for the long-term benefit of all South Africans,” Dr Van Rooyen says.

The public sculpture project will be implemented over the next few years. Artists will be commissioned as funds become available. The UFS will also consult extensively with local and national art museums with experience in the public art field. A wide spectrum of artists, especially artists from the black community, will be used.

Dr Van Rooyen says that many black artists have not had an opportunity to exhibit public sculptures because of prohibitive costs and the project will empower them to develop their skills. The project makes provision for both established and emerging artists to showcase their work.

The aim of the Khoe-San Early Learning Centre pilot project is to compile a curriculum that is sensitive to multiculturalism and multilingualism. The centre will be the first in the country and will respond to the need to promote and revitalise Khoe-San languages. Using arts and crafts and storytelling, as well as literacy, numeracy and life skills, children will learn to adapt to their environment and contribute to our diverse society. This centre will be a collaborative venture between the Heidedal community and the UFS.

Finally, the Artists in Schools project, which has been running successfully since 2004, will also receive a boost from the Lottery funding. Through a series of workshops that the Department of Fine Arts presents at schools, participants develop functional art products with a distinctive Free State character. These products are marketed and sold to benefit the artists, designers and craftspeople.

Media Release
Issued by: Mangaliso Radebe
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2828
Cell: 078 460 3320
E-mail: radebemt.stg@ufs.ac.za
25 May 2009
 

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept